1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to reuseable devices for fastening diapers upon the torso of an infant human being.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For many years the standard and unquestioned means of fastening cloth diapers to the torso of an infant has been by use of large safety pins. To fasten a diaper using safety pins, an infant is laid on its back upon the diaper with the diaper extending downward from the baby's waist. The free end of the diaper is then brought upward and forward to encompass the baby's crotch area and the edges of the front portion of the diaper are brought rearward and disposed in layered arrangement adjacent to the edges of the rear portion of the diaper at the baby's side. The pointed spear of the safety pin is then passed through the layers of diapers, penetrating the innermost layer both entering and reentering. The exposed point of the safety pin spear then becomes accessible for capture by the safety pin guard. The safety pin guard holds the pin shut, thus securing the diaper into place on one side of the baby. A second safety pin is used in similar fashion to fasten the edges of the diaper together at the infant's other side.
While having remained the accepted means of fastening cloth diapers together for many years, the enlarged reusable safety pins as described have presented numerous problems. It is quite difficult to pinch the double layers of diaper fabric together at the baby's sides to form a fold of at least four layers in thickness, and then penetrate all four layers with the spear of the safety pin. The strength required is beyond that which can be exercised with facility by most adults, with the consequence that the baby is frequently jarred and jostled during a diaper change. Moreover, because of the strength required, the layers of fabric typically require a backing against which the spear of the safety pin is directed. This backing normally is provided by the only convenient means available, which are the digits or fingers of the adult performing the diaper change. Ideally the spear of the safety pin emerges between adjacent fingers of the hand of the adult providing the backing, or adjacent to one of the fingers. However, and much to the pain and chagrin of the adult performing the diaper change, the spear frequently is misdirected and penetrates the skin of the adult performing the diaper change.
A futher hazard in fastening the edges of diapers together using safety pins is the danger to the infant itself. Frequently, upon entering the inner most fabric layer adjacent the baby's skin, the spear of the safety pin is inadverently directed toward the baby's skin and pricks the skin causing the baby anguish and bringing an immediate reaction of outrage. Moreover, even if a diaper change is successfully effectuated, the baby is still sometimes frequently stuck with a diaper pin when the tip of the spear of the safety pin inadverently becomes disenaged from the safety pin guard. This is an especially frequent occurrence with infants who are quite active. The result is that at least some of the layers of the diaper pull free from the spear of the safety pin, and continued movement of the infant results in the spear of the safety pin pricking the baby's skin.
Various alternative techniques of fastening diapers using conventional oversized safety pins have been attempted, but all with unsatisfactory results. For example, instead of drawing the edges of the diaper together in overlapping fashion with the inside surface of one edge in contact with the outer surface of another diaper edge, the edges of the diapers have sometimes been drawn together in pinched fashion with the inner surface of one edge facing the inner surface of the opposing edge. This is done to reduce the number of thicknesses of fabric through which the spear of the safety pin must pass. The difficulty, however, is that when released, the edges of the diaper which are to be fastened together are drawn apart a short distance as determined by the length of the safety pin. One of the diaper edges is restrained by the safety pin guard while the other is restrained by the fulcrum for the safety pin spear. The length of the safety pin bridges the gap therebetween, but the separation is sufficient so that the body wastes of the infant frequently escape the confines of the diaper. This generates a considerable cleaning chore for the parent or other guardian of the infant. Moreover, the shank of the safety pin spear and spine ride in contact with the baby's skin, and thus provide a source of irritation to the baby.
Numerous other types of fasteners have been attempted for use in securing the edges of diapers together, but all such devices have heretofore proven too cumbersome for the ease of manipulation required in performing a diaper change. Hence, all have been discarded as not warranting the effort required for their use.
With the advent of paper diapers, other forms of fasteners gained some degree of use. Specifically, the external plasticized surface provided with most paper disposable diapers provided a surface to which a pressure sensitive adhesive coated tape would adhere with some degree of success. The same was not true when such tape is applied to reusable cloth diapers, however. Nevertheless such adhesive tape still tends somewhat to disengage from the plasticized outer surface of disposable diapers, and in any event is entirely unsuitable for use with reuseable cloth diapers.